There has been a move in education for a number of years now that has focused on what Jan Meyer and Ray Land call Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge (Meyer and Land, 2006). These are ideas that students really struggle to grasp. We've all experienced it. For me it was mathematical formulae. I could never understand why it was that the maths teachers stepped through equations the way that they did. I didn't know the rules and they did an appalling job of explaining them to me. I fumbled around trying to make sense of my ignorance before giving up. But the fact that I've never forgotten this, and keep returning to it is a telling point. Meyer and Land argue that these … [Read more...] about Why a grand vision might be bad for your practice (and your soul)
Want more critical physiotherapy at WCPT in 2017?
It's only a few months since the last WCPT meeting in Singapore, but plans are already taking shape for the next Congress. Over the last few days, WCPT has been asking what people want in South Africa, and calling for some input from the broader physiotherapy community. So it would seem like a golden opportunity to push for more activities, forums, opportunities and speakers who can promote critical thinking and practice. There is a Survey Monkey poll that you can complete here (deadline 7th October), and WCPT has announced its Scientific Committee - the people who will decide what gets into the programme and what doesn't. The committee comprises: Professor Dina Brooks … [Read more...] about Want more critical physiotherapy at WCPT in 2017?
Three theses on gender and physiotherapy
Gender is an issue that has become increasingly important in physiotherapy scholarship in recent years. The first time research by a physiotherapist that specifically addressed this question was a paper by Anne Parry with what must still be the best title for any research paper ever written: Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did backwards and in high heels (pdf). The paper still resonates strongly with me and has some important things to say about our professions gendered history. Anders Ottosson's seminal work on the 'feminization' of physiotherapy in 19th century still stands as one of the most important works on the subject, but there are other important works too, and these … [Read more...] about Three theses on gender and physiotherapy
Critical physiotherapy research update
Depression embodied: an ambiguous striving against fading Louise Danielsson and Susanne Rosberg Although depression is associated to physical discomfort, meanings of the body in depression are rarely addressed in clinical research. Drawing on the concept of the lived body, this study explores depression as an embodied phenomenon. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the analysis of narrative-based interviews with 11 depressed adults discloses a thematic structure of an embodied process of an ambiguous striving against fading. Five subthemes elicit different dimensions of this process, interpreted as disabling or enabling: feeling estranged, feeling confined, feeling … [Read more...] about Critical physiotherapy research update
Teaching as Wayfinding (Hybrid Pedagogy)
Originally published here on 5th March 2015 by Eric Hudson The 21st century learning landscape demands a significant shift in the role, but not the importance, of the teacher. Smart use of relevant technology can help make that shift easier. In June of 2014, The Atlantic magazine published a piece by David Zweig: “How You Know Where You’re Going When You’re in the Airport.” The piece was a short profile of Jim Harding, a designer who created the “wayfinding system” at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, the busiest airport in the world. His specialty? “The process of designing cues — from signage to lighting and color, even the architecture, anything at all — to help people navigate … [Read more...] about Teaching as Wayfinding (Hybrid Pedagogy)
The Pedagogy of Suffering: Four Fragments
Abstract This paper is a collection of small, formal and informal writings and is part of the early groundwork we have been doing together on the topic of the pedagogy of suffering, a phrase that has certainly given pause to many colleagues we have spoken to. We are trying to understand and articulate how and why suffering can be pedagogical in character and how it is often key to authentic and meaningful acts of teaching and learning. We are exploring threads from both the hermeneutic tradition and from Buddhism, in order to decode our understandable rush to ameliorate suffering at every turn and to consider every instance of it as an error to be avoided at all costs. We also look to these … [Read more...] about The Pedagogy of Suffering: Four Fragments
Interview with Clare Kell
As part of our 'interview' series with people in the Critical Physiotherapy Network, I asked Clare Kell some questions about her approach to physiotherapy, research and life in general. Clare was the author of a paper titled 'Making practice education visible: Challenging assumptions about the patient's place in placement environments' (International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 21(8), 359-366). Clare is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Lead at Cardiff University in Wales (KellC@cardiff.ac.uk). You can find Clare's CPN member profile here Where does your interest in health care education - and particularly patient-centred care in physiotherapy - come from? This is a hard … [Read more...] about Interview with Clare Kell